Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Des Moines - Merle Hay Rd

The deposit cost more than the room, so keep that in mind. I’d been staying at the Econo Lodge- Fairgrounds, where the rooms were very clean and the staff were great, but weekend prices were getting hard to afford while my husband has been in the hospital here for a while. I usually choose Econo Lodge when traveling because they’re generally clean, but not this one. I took photos of the grime, and they’re enough to make your skin crawl. This was the worst hotel I’ve stayed in. There were bugs in the light fixtures and dust all over the lampshades. I didn’t want to know what was on the complimentary shampoo bottle. After my shower, the water smelled, and my feet turned black walking from the bathroom to the bed. The whole second floor smelled like weed, with loud music playing, and apparently that was acceptable. I’ll go back to the Econo Lodge- Fairgrounds or anywhere else before staying here again.

From 3/1 to 3/3, I stayed in my usual clean, comfortable room. The front desk employees were super friendly, especially the 3 front desk guys. You can see they’re working hard to remodel different parts of the motel. This is my go-to when I’m in Des moines. Thanks to the staff and everyone else, I appreciate the effort.

The hallway smelled strongly of pot, so we asked to switch rooms. The new room was off a hallway with garbage lying around and a party going on, and it smelled of pot too. We packed up at 10:30 at night and complained at the front desk. They were very rude and didn’t want to refund my money. Signs everywhere say there’s a $150 penalty for smoking in the hotel, but it apparently doesn’t apply to everyone. Run from this hotel.

For what it costs, this place is barely mediocre. Charging 15 per night per dog doesn’t qualify as pet friendly. There was trash in the lot and broken glass all over the narrow strip of grass. The poop bag dispenser was empty, one of the easiest things for the hotel to check and refill, which makes me wonder what else they skip. They take no pride in the outside. I lost count of the cigarette butts on the ground while walking through the “no pets allowed” area by the back entrance. It’s basically an overpriced motel 6.